Ships & Steinways

[Richard Brekne]

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Hi Tony

I've done quite a few cruise boats. Bergen is a regular stop off for the
fjord cruises. What you describe is par for the course. Never enough
time, pianos get banged around and treated like they were Champagne
bottles, and it amazes me they even bother with it all.

You can only do what you can do in zip diddly time. Nothing to build up
great expectations for.

RIcB

Tony Caught wrote:

> Hi list, Yesterday I went on a cruiseship (MS Europa) to tune 3
> Steinways. 2 B's and a M. When I got there they asked me to tune one
> piano first and then the pianist would come down and check it before I
> tuned the other two. So OK, I don't mind, they don't know me, could
> have a fussy pianist on board. The first B.  Scale reasonable, tenor
> OK, treble all over the place. Up to 30 cents flat on some notes and
> individual strings. Bass reasonable. Tuned the piano and to be honest
> I have tuned Young Changs that sounded better. Not that Young Changs
> are a bad piano but these pianos are Steinways. So an hour after I
> started the pianist (Russian) came down and played the piano. Now I
> have seen heavy hands but the keys are not supposed to bottom out on
> the floor. Says he loves it. Its OK to tune the other two. I asked
> when the pianos were last tuned and the answer was "In Singapore, two
> days ago"  I asked 'how old are these pianos' the reply "4 years
> old".  I was thinking sound like strings have been broken and
> replaced, would explain the 20 - 30 cents flat, but no. The piano
> still sounds yuck. Tuned the other two that were in roughly the same
> condition then went back to the first one in the main concert room to
> go over the treble again but before I started I decided to check out
> the aliquot side of the strings. I was sure that I could hear
> something funny wilts tuning. Plucked three strings on the same note
> and got back three different notes. Time for a quick fix. Got out my
> string stretcher and firmly pushed every string (aliquot side) and
> then had a piano that was up to 40 cents flat on some strings, all was
> uneven. Pulled it all up to pitch then tuned the treble again. The
> piano now started to sound like a Steinway.  The pianist returned as I
> was testing, sat down and played for 15 minutes and said could I do
> the same for the other pianos. Hell, I haven't finished that one
> properly yet. What do you do, the ship sails in two hours, on to the
> next piano tuner in ten days time. What I can't understand is how a
> piano can get to 4 years old in a situation where it is played
> constantly and still not be stable in the above area. What have I
> missed. No I did not do the other pianos or do more work on the main
> one, reason, they only want the pianos tuned and that's all they will
> pay for. Doing the extra was for my benefit. Still learning. But, I am
> annoyed that I can't do my job as I want to. Regards  Tony Caught
> Darwin Australia
> caute@bigpond.com

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html


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